Photo: Two of the USHL’s top scorers, Fargo Force forward Denis Smirnov and Lincoln Stars forward Tanner Laczynski, will go head-to-head this weekend in a top USHL prospect showdown (courtesy of Mitch Highman/MJoy Photography and Brandon Anderson/BA Photos)

This week’s Prospect Faceoff is loaded with powerhouse matchups from around North America. The Ottawa Senators will be interested in the result from a game in Shawinigan this weekend, and scouts from the NHL will be on hand in Fargo as the Lincoln Stars pay them the Fargo Force visit. We’ll check-in with the most recent members of the 100-point club from the OHL and WHL, and an often discussed Calgary Flames prospect is in action as his NCAA career winds down. Read more»

Photo: JyP Jyvaskyla defenseman and Winnipeg Jets prospect Sami Niku (R) is one of a trio of defensive NHL prospects that competed for Finland in their gold medal run at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship (courtesy of MARKKU ULANDER/AFP/Getty Images)

The 2015 NHL Draft saw six defensemen from Finland selected for only the second time since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 2004. Though none of those players were selected in the top two rounds — as current Pittsburgh PenguinOlli Maatta was in the 2012 draft class that was previously the largest — the 2015 draft class has increased the number of NHL-drafted defensemen playing in Liiga. This has helped to expand this list to a top 10 after listing just five players last year. Read more»

Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tom Kuhnhackl celebrates his first NHL goal in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning this past weekend (courtesy of Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

The Calder Trophy is still up for grabs, and Artemi Panarin won’t let it get out of his grasp thanks to a little help from the NHL’s leading scorer. He had to wait 18 games to do it, but Tom Kuhnhackl made his first NHL goal look easy. In the AHL, Troy Grosenick added another entry into the Save of the Year category, only to be outdone by one of the AHL’s leading scorers. Plenty more action is available in this week’s Prospect Impressions! Read more»

This week in Prospect Faceoff, three Toronto Maple Leafs prospects are in action, with each facing stiff competition. Two of the WHL’s most consistent and well-liked players go head-to-head with the division crown still hanging in the balance, and the NHL’s Stadium Series writes a new chapter with two of the NHL’s brightest young stars facing off. Read more»

Photo: Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin has been a top NHL rookie from the start of the 2015-16 season, which earned him a place in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game that took place at the end of January (courtesy of Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)